The father of Colt Gray, the 14-year-old boy in Georgia accused of killing four people in a mass school shooting on Wednesday, told police his son was bullied at school by students who accused the youth of being gay, the National Desk reported.
Colt Gray was taken into custody and charged as an adult with four counts of murder for the mass shooting at the Apalachee High School on Wednesday. His father, Colin Gray, 54, was taken into custody yesterday and charged with providing the firearm used in the killings. Both father and son were denied bail and remain in custody.
The reported bullying was revealed by Colin during a visit by police investigating a report that Colt had threatened similar violence two years earlier on the Discord gaming communication system.
When police showed up at the Gray home investigating the tip, Colin defended his son, claiming the boy wanted to attend school like a normal kid but had been bullied and accused of being gay by some classmates and members of the school’s golf team.
“It was just very difficult for him to go to school and not get picked on by you know it went from one thing to another to you know he was talking to a couple of friends he has,” Colin told investigators in 2023 according to transcripts obtained by the National Desk. “I was trying to get him on the golf team. Like, ‘Oh look, Colt’s gay. He’s dating that guy.’ Just ridiculed him day after day after day.”
Gray did not appear to suggest his son was gay, only that some classmates had used the accusation as a form of bullying.
Police indicated they were familiar with the Gray residence, having visited the home numerous times in the past and issuing warnings about allowing his son to have access to firearms. The gun used by Colt in the killing was reportedly given to Colt as a Christmas present from his father.
